Combination box, picnic table, and canopy



March 24, 3942..

A. MANCUSI COMBINATION BOX, PICNIC TABLE AND CANOPY Filed Nov. 28, 19-582 Sheets-Sheet 1 amusing-1m a v fimedeo 1% 10 March 24, 1942. A. MANCUSI2,277,341

COMBINATION BOX, PICNICL TABLE AND CANOPY Filed Nov. 2a, 1938 2Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented Mar. 24, 1942 UNETED fiTATELS PATENT @FFlQEE]COMBINATION BOX,

PICNIC TABLE, AND NOPY 1 Claim.

This invention relates to combination box, picnic table and canopy.

The primary object of the invention is to provide a combination box,picnic table and canopy which when in boxed formation may be readilytransported in an automobile, the box being provided with a compartmentfor food and the like, tableware and dishes and another compartment forappurtenances to convert the box into a leg supported table structurewith rods for the support of a canopy thereabove.

With the above and other objects in view that will become apparent asthe nature of the invention is better understood, the same consists inthe novel form, combination and arrangement of parts hereinafter morefully described, shown in the accompanying drawings and claimed.

In the drawings:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of a combination box, picnic table andcanopy constructed in accordance with the present invention, the devicebeing in box-formation with the table and canopy appurtenances confinedin the box structure;

Figure 2 is a side elevational view of the'device converted into apicnic table and canopy;

Figure 3 is an end elevational view showing the box structure supportedin its elevated table position;

Figure 4 is a fragmentary side elevational view of the upper frameworkfor the support of the canopy;

Figure 5 is a fragmentary top plan view of the apex of the canopy frame;

Figure 6 is a fragmentary side elevational view, partly in section,showing the leg supports for the table structure and the rod support forthe canopy structure;

Figure 7 is a horizontal sectional view taken on line 1-! of Figure 2,showing one section of the box divided into compartments for foodstuffs, glasses and cutlery and the brace bar connections between thebox structure and the table legs; and

Figure 8 is a vertical detail sectional view taken on line 88 of Figure2, showing the box structure in its table formation with the upper andlower compartments of the box, the latter for housing the table andcanopy appurtenances.

The combination box, picnic table and canopy is of folding andcollapsible construction, the same being foldable into box formation,with the table and canopy appurtenances being confined within acompartment in the box when the latter is being transported for picnicor beach use and is of such a size as to be conveniently carried in anautomobile. The device when in box formation as illustrated in Figure 1,comprises a top wall Ill, end walls H, a bottom wall W as shown inFigure 8 and sectional side walls l3 and 14. The upper side wallsections53 are hinged as at l5 at their upper edges to the opposite side edgesrespectively of the rigid top wall it while the lower side wall sectionsM are hinged as at I6 to the opposite side edges respectively of thebottom wall l2 as shown in Figure 8. A horizontal par-- tition l! isarranged in the box structure in the plane of the meeting edges of thehinged side wall sections l3 and I l to divide the box into upper andlower compartments l8 and i9 respectively. The side wall sections l3 andM of the device are normally retained in closed posi-' tion to form thebox structure by lock devices 20 indicated in Figure 1. As shown inFigure '7, the upper compartment E8 of the box is provided with spacedtransversely extending vertical partitions 2| extending between the topwall H1 and the partition I9 to form separated chambers 22 for thecarrying of food stuffs, tableware and the like, one of saidcompartments 22 being provided with a plate 23 disposed above thepartition I! and having openings 26 therein for the support of glassesand an auxiliary compartment 25 for cutlery and the like.

The appurtenances for converting the box structure into a picnic tablewith canopy thereover are carried in the compartment l9 and suchappurtenances include four tubular guides 26, each carrying a pair oflaterally extending spaced parallel arms 2'! for detachable engagementwith an end wall H of the box by some nut and bolt combinations 28 withthe bolts of said combinations passing through the openings 29 in saidend walls, a tubular guide 26 being associated with each corner of thebox and disposed outwardly thereof as shown in Figs. '7 and 8. A groundleg 38 is adapted to have its upper end located in a tubular guide 26with the lower pointed end 3| thereof driven into the ground as shown at32 a suitable distance to provide a stable support for the tableconstruction.

A canopy rod 33 is adapted to have its lower end supported in the upperend of a tubular guide 28 and is locked therein by means of a cross-pin34 extending through said tubular guide and the lower end of the canopyrod 33, the inner end of the pin 36 projecting laterally of one side ofthe tubular guide as shown at 35 to provide a support for the adjacentfree edge of a swinging side wall section 53 of the table topconstruction, the cross pin 3 serving to anchor the canopy rod 33 in thetubular guide 2b? with the lower end of the rod 33 engaging the upperend of the ground leg 30 as shown in Figure 6. The upper end of eachcanopy rod 33 has a clevis connection 36 carried laterally by a tubularsocket 31, each socket 31 being adapted to receive the lower end of aninclined roof rod 38 that carries at its upper end an apertured disk 39,the disks on the several roof rods 38 being adapted to be arranged insuperposed contacting relation and so retained by a nut and boltcombination 40 as shown in Figures 4 and 5. A relatively short roof rod4| carrying an ornamental head 42 is adapted to be received in the outerlower end of the tubular socket 31, the shorter rod 4| being furthersupported by a collar 43. A fabric or other canopy 44 is mounted on theroof rod 38 and has a drop curtain 45 at its lower edge and to which theshorter roof rod sections 4| extend as shown in Figures 2 and 3.

The structure thus described, which may be considered as a take-downensemble and equipment for outing purposes, is so arranged as to providea number of positive advantages in this particular field. When thevarious parts are housed within the containerwhich also contains theequipment for dining purposes, etc., for use during the outing, theclosed container is of sufiiciently overall dimensions as to be readilyreceived within the usual storage compartment of a motor car, and thusdoes not detract from the appearance of the car during travel to andfrom the point of outing; since the container is provided with handles46 at the opposite ends of the box, the assemblage can be readilycarried about and manipulated. When the point of outing is reached, thecontainer with its content is removed from the car space and thentransformed into a canopied table surface condition in which the surfacecan be used either for dining purposes-the dining equipment and edibleswithin the container being used for the purpose, or the surface may beemployed for the playing of table games, such as card-games, etc., thecontainer top carrying the markings of a chess or checker board 41, asshown, as an aid in this respect.

In the service position thus described the ensemble presents severalimportant advantages. For instance, in the playing of card games, thereare generally four players, each seated at a side 3 of the table; theset-up ensemble permits this through the fact that plenty of leg roomfor the players is present when seated at the table, without the tablesurface being inordinately high,

and because of the fact that the sides of the opened table areunobstructed, thus permitting freedom of action by the player;obviously, the same is true with respect to diners, the four sides ofthe table permitting four to occupy the table concurrently, with eachdiner having freedom of movement.

To obtain these results it is essential that certain conditions must bemet. With the container capable of being carried within the usual carstorage space, the overall dimensions are limited by the spaceconditions, thus requiring that the canopy and its supporting structure,together with the supporting structure for the table must be madesectional or take-down. If space conditions were unimportant, thesupporting struc ture, etc., could be readily fashioned to provide foran efficient assemblage; but inasmuch as the space factor is actuallypresent-complicated by the space requirements for dining equipment,etc.-the specific character of the sectional supporting structures mustbe carefully considered in order that it may be readily housed withinthe limited space; the sections must be limited in number and of a formwhich will require minimum space conditions during housing.

An additional factor in this respect is the depth dimension of thecontainer. While it is readily possible to produce a table surface fromthe top of a container and the use of opposite swinging side members ofa box, it will be apparent that when the surface is thus formed the twosides of the table provided by such swinging sides will afford ampleleg-room for diners or game players; but the remaining sides carry theends of the container, and where the latter is of considerable depth,these sides are more or less obstructed for leg-room, or the tablesurface is raised to such an extent as to make any occupants of suchsides uncomfortable when seated at the table and during use of thesurface for dining or game playing. Because of this condition, it isobvious that the depth dimension of the container must be restricted, ifcomfort is to be had, thus affecting the matter of the space limitationsaside from those set up by the space factor of the usual car storagespace which tend to affect the width and length dimensions of thecontainer. I

A third condition is set up by the presence of the supporting structurefor the table and canopy. With the table surface presenting swingingportions, the table support should be carried by a more substantialportion of the container so as to take stress from the hinges of theswinging portions of the top; with the container top occupying anintermediate position, the presence of supports reaching the ground atthe container ends, inevitably renders such table surface sidesunusable, thus practically limiting the table surface for concurrent useby two persons, with the remaining sides unoccupied. The condition iscomplicated by the need for additionally supporting the canopy; in theabsence of space conditions, the canopy support could be simplyarranged, but with the space factors present, the condition becomeslargely complicated.

The present invention meets these various conditions by the particularstructure disclosed, which is 50 arranged that the supporting structurefor the table is located at the corners of the completed table surfaceand therefore at the corners of the swinging members of the surface,since the swinging members could not Well support the weights whichwould thus be suspended, the actual support is provided by the members2'! which connect a support with an end of the container in parallelismand thereby firmly support the table surface and the weights carriedthereby. The members 21 are carried by the guides 26, and these receivethe support 33, for the canopy, being anchored to the guide by the pin34 which is designed to also act in supporting the swinging sides thenforming portions of the table surface. Hence, the weight factor is somet as to relieve the hinge connections completely free from strain,while the table surface is made rigid. The canopy support isskeletonized to meet these conditions with a minimum of space occupationin the container,

In other words, there is a particular and definite relationship betweenthe parts of the ensemble such as to combinedly set up mutualrelationships which enable these results to be obtained efficiently andwith an assurance that the service conditions of the ensemble willprovide an adequately-supported table surface at which each of the foursides can be comfortably positioned for dining or for game playing, andin which the entire ensemble with the dining equipment etc., can beproperly carried in housed relation within a container readily receivedwithin the storage space of a motor car with the container depthsufiiciently limited as to not incommode a seated person at the openedtable.

The partitioned division of the container, the compartment l9 at thebottom carries the structural members of the supporting structures, thethree compartments thereabove taking care'of other appurtenances,compartment 18, for inpreferred embodiment of the invention, it isnevertheless to be understood that minor changes may be made therein,provided they come within the scope of the claim.

I claim:

In a device of the character described, a box having a top wall servingas a table, pairs of oppositely extending horizontal straps attached attheir inner ends to opposite ends of the box end walls, a perpendiculartubular member carried by the outer ends of each pair of straps,upstanding posts having their lower ends mounted in the upper ends ofthe tubular members, means for retaining said posts in the tubularmembers and ground legs having their upper ends mounted in the lowerends of the tubular members, with the upper ends of the legs engagedwith and supporting the lower ends of said upstanding posts.

AMEDEO MANCUSI.

